San Diego plans to hire Rangers assistant general manager A.J. Preller to fill their vacant GM post, and his departure will mark the second significant departure in nine seasons from GM Jon Daniels’ staff.

Fox Sports first reported the news. A message left for Preller, who is expected to accept the Padres’ offer, went unanswered.

Preller, 37, has served as the Rangers’ point man in Latin America and has also overseen amateur scouting during his time with the Rangers. He was given the assistant GM title last off-season.

Daniels has been bracing for the departure of Preller, his fraternity brother at Cornell. There is a level of concern that Preller could seek to hire away some members of the Rangers’ front office and scouting department.

The first significant departure from Daniels’ staff was farm director Scott Servais, who left in 2011 to become an assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels.